Why your sleep is SH!T

There’s this funny term in the health industry known as “sleep hygiene”, and most of ours is crap. Since most people have terrible sleep hygiene, this is one area that we often address with our clients—especially if sleep is an issue. Sleep is VITALLY important for our cognitive and mental health, so let’s talk about how to get it on track.

What is sleep hygiene? Quite simply it means “healthy sleep habits”. A lot of research supports sleep hygiene in treating insomnia and other sleep issues. Many may be tempted to take a pill or supplement to improve their sleep, but these are short-term solutions that can lead to dependence and ultimately prolong sleep difficulties. Why not start with easy lifestyle shifts that are likely to create sustainable benefits?

Here are some top tips for getting your sleep hygiene in tip-top shape! (see what I did there?)

1. Turn off the damn screens!!! This is absolutely a top offender in this day and age. If you don’t know by now, screens (TV’s, phones, tablets, computers, etc) give off “blue light”, which is a super-fast frequency of light energy that enters our eyes and changes our brain wave patterns. The brain needs to slow down from Beta and Alpha frequencies (wakefulness) to Delta and Theta frequencies (twilight and sleep) in order to achieve proper stages of deep sleep. When we expose ourselves to blue light prior to bed, we’re stimulating more Beta activity, which makes us more alert and limits our ability to let our circadian rhythms do their job. Our recommendation? Turn off all screens 1-2 hours before you want to be asleep. Trust me, you won’t miss it after a while.

2. Have regular sleep and wake times. In order for our circadian rhythms to cooperate, we need to help them know what to expect. If our sleep and wake times are constantly fluctuating, we’re likely going to struggle with healthy sleep. To the best of your ability, try and keep your sleep and wake times within an hour (example: 10-11pm to 6-7am), yes, even on the weekends!

3. Avoid stimulants and alcohol 4-6 hours before bed. Stimulants include caffeine, nicotine, etc. Seems pretty obvious with the stimulants, right? Well, a lot of people struggle with it. No energy drinks, no soda… actually, how about you cut that crap out anyway? Alcohol is a tough one for a lot of folks too, people think “Alcohol helps me relax and unwind before bed”. That may be true initially, but when the alcohol wears off in the middle of the night it will interrupt the quality of your sleep as your system detoxes.

4. Avoid naps. Another one that seems obvious but plagues many. The temptation to take an afternoon nap can be strong after a busy day, but then we’re often tossing and turning when bedtime hits. Try instead to do a 20-30 minute meditation, set a gentle timer to go off at the end so that if it does turn into a mini-nap, you’re up and ready to tackle the rest of your day. You’ll be amazed with how refreshed you feel after such a short break!

5. Create some cozy sleep rituals. You may be wondering after reading #1 “What the hell do I do without my 2 hours of Netflix before bed?!” I encourage you to find some relaxing and soothing bedtime rituals to ease yourself into slumber. Once these rituals are habit, they help signal to your brain that sleep is approaching and natural melatonin begins to release. Common suggestions are: taking a warm bath, journaling, drinking herbal tea, gentle stretching or yoga, meditation, deep breathing exercises, prayer, personal hygiene, reading a book (a real one, not on a kindle/tablet). There are many possibilities, just try and avoid anything that is cognitively stimulating.

There are many other sleep hygiene tips out there, and if sleep is a major problem for you, I encourage you to look deeper into other methods and suggestions. Here, I’ve just included the top 5 offenders from clients that we work with. You know what is also extremely helpful in improving sleep? Neurofeedback 😉

Written by: Britney Cirullo, MA, LPCC-S, LICDC, BCN